By Tokwan Nasir

It is Budu in Kelantan. Masters of past branding in Melaka named more-or-less the same concoction as “Cincalok”. Some 100 years ago, trainee teachers from Kelantan and Melaka would have been thrilled to discover “Tempoyak” in Tanjung Malim, Perak. An eventual posting to a school in Kedah would introduce them to “Pekasam”.

The Pekasam production manual is quite simple, and the ingredients are easy to get.

The cleaned fish is mixed with fried rice powder. A straightforward Step Two is daub salt on the fish. Step three is to “ferment” the fish for a “week or more”.

The ancestral advice has always been “agak-agak” – you ultimately decide on the mixture and length of fermentation. Experience tends to deliver dexterity.

The tastiest pekasam is from freshwater fish, especially puyu, haruan, sepat, lampam and tilapia.

There are various methods of catching freshwater fish. Fishing, setting nets, traps and so on. But catching using a kind of tool made of bamboo called Serkap is most thrilling.

Pekasam being sold in Pekan Rabu, Alor Setar

Usually when the rice fields are ploughed, we will follow the machinery, popularly called “trekta or kobuta”. The fish will be quite visible when the soil is stirred .

Catfish is deemed pretty harmful. So avoid the stinging rebuke. It is quite poisonous. Our ancestors have thought through this and have prepared an antidote.

The method is called “tangas” which consists of tamarind pieces that are boiled with several herbal leaves of wood, after which the stung area is “smoked” with tamarind water.

Due to incompetency rather than lack of experience, I was often stung by catfish.

I survived to be typing this story many years later, thanks to the tangas procedure.

Master healers of the past have long developed the emergency manual.

The moment the catfish prevailed and launched an attack on you, start thinking on your feet.

“Ikat tempat kena sengat tu kuat kuat!” That is Kedah speak for furious blockading of the spot with Tali.

I tend to get pretty agitated and launched a counter attack. That is to savour my mother’s favourite Gulai Ikan Keli. It is cooked with yams.

There is really no special slots to enjoy your Pekasam. It is delicious eaten for breakfast with steamed glutinous rice mixed with grated coconut; or eaten as an appetiser with piping hot rice during lunch. Add a bit of sambal belacan and top it with petai or jingle… Simply delicious!

I won’t apologise for being a big fan of the dish.

Pekasam is sold in Pekan Rabu Alor Setar and priced between RM20 and RM30 per kg depending on the type of fish.

You should snap the opportunity when you next visit Pekan Rabu.

The cooking part is pretty straightforward.

Kedahans who live outside, if they return to their hometown, will definitely look for pekasam as a way to get rid of their longing for exotic food. There is also pickled padi shrimp or udang sawah.

Amazingly some enthusiasts would eat it raw!

Now there is not only fresh water fish, there is also pickled gelama and mayong.

Additionally, there are also pekasam meat and chicken.

I wonder how this pickled recipe came about. Perhaps, in the old days it was quite difficult to store food because there were no refrigerators then. Pekasam was the old durability manual. It is proving to be ageless too.

Pekasam is loved by all age groups. It’s great!

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Kedah Pekasam Recipe.

a) Ingredients

1) 1 kg of puyu fish (harun, lampam, or tilapia)
2) 1 cup of coarse salt (fine salt is also fine)
3) 1 cup of rice that has been fried without oil.
4) A cup of tamarind water.

b) Method of Preparation.

1) Clean the puyu, then rub the whole fish with salt. Place the fish in an air tight container. Leave overnight.
2) Grind the fried rice until smooth.
3) Remove the fish from the container, wash the fish and steam.
4) Spread the rice over the fish. Put the fried rice in the belly of the fish.
5) Arrange the fish in a container and pour tamarind water.
6) Leave overnight in a covered container.
7) Leave the container in the fridge so that the fish lasts longer (don’t store in the freezer. Store in the lower part where the vegetables/fruits are).
8) After a week the fish can be fried with dried chillies and sliced red onions.

Pekasam fish fried with dried chillies and sliced red onions.